beautiful thing #11
Posted by rick Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:28:00 GMT
You’ve probably seen this already, but if you haven’t you’ll want to set aside 30 minutes or so to take it in: Pearls before Breakfast.
beautiful thing #10
Posted by rick Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:16:00 GMT
You can read it for yourself. To my mind it is not beautiful because it is singular, it is beautiful because it is something we all understand, something we all see as beautiful, something which lifts the corner of the curtain to show us again that we are all one.
beautiful thing #9
Posted by rick Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:15:00 GMT
The website for Miranda July’s book Noone Belongs Here More Than You.
beautiful thing #8
Posted by rick Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:33:00 GMT
Another song, this time via my friend Kevin, by Brett Dennen entitled There is So Much More (YouTube movie of live performance at link), lyrics follow:
"There Is So Much More" When I heard the news My heart fell on the floor I was on a plane on my way to Baltimore In these troubled times its hard enough as it is My soul has known a better life than this I wondered how so many could be in so much pain While others don't seem to feel a thing Then I curse my wiseness and I get so damned depressed In a world of suffering why should I be so blessed I heard about a woman who lives in Colorado She built a monument of sorts behind her garage door Where everyday she prays for all whom are born and all whose souls have passed on Sometimes my trouble gets so thick I can't see how I'm going to get through it But then I would rather be stuck up in a tree Than be tied to it Do do do do do I know There is so much more I don't feel comfortable with the way my clothes fit I can't get used to my body's limits I got some fancy shoes to try and kick away these blues They cost a lot of money but they aren't worth a thing I want to free my feet from the broken glass and concrete I need to get out of this city Lay upon the ground and stare a hole in the sky Wondering where I go when I die When I die
beautiful thing #7
Posted by rick Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:42:00 GMT
Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore
Go. Read. You will want to read more of his fiction (even in translation)!
beautiful thing #6
Posted by rick Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:20:00 GMT
Another song, by Jason Molina (aka the guy behind Songs: Ohia), Just Be Simple (youtube video at link). The album version sounds vastly better, but the song is still great. Lyrics:
You never hear me talk about one day getting out Why put a new address on the same old loneliness Everybody knows where that is We built that house of his And when he's not home Someone else you know always is If Heaven's really coming back I hope it has a heart attack When they see how dangerous it is for guys like that The night has always known when it's time to get going When it's really been so long that it starts showing It's always had that ghost who always almost Tells me the Secret How there's really no difference in who he was once And who he's become Everything you hated me for... Honey there was so much more I just didn't get busted. But I'm not looking for an easy way out This whole life it's been about Try and try and try And try and try and try To be simple again
beautiful thing #5
Posted by rick Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:51:00 GMT
More artwork, this time from Steve Barbash, this time an etching from his “Images as Flowers” series. This particular crysanthemum, against a dark background, hung in our last bedroom and (once we’re unpacked again) will hang in our house again:
beautiful thing #4
Posted by rick Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:55:00 GMT
This is a programmer thing, but I can’t tell you how wonderful test-driven development becomes in Ruby when you have Autotest. Ryan Davis has made something elegant and beautiful.
beautiful thing #3
Posted by rick Thu, 08 Mar 2007 06:40:00 GMT
Art by Mat Daly of the bird machine including prints such as ‘Winter 2001’ below.
beautiful thing #2
Posted by rick Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:05:00 GMT
Another beautiful song, Wilco’s Hummingbird, lyrics:
His goal in life was to be an echo Riding alone, town after town, toll after toll A fixed bayonet through the great southwest to forget her She appears in his dreams But in his car and in his arms A dream can mean anything A cheap sunset on a television set can upset her But he never could Remember to remember me Standing still in your past Floating fast like a hummingbird His goal in life was to be an echo The type of sound that floats around and then back down Like a feather But in the deep chrome canyons of the loudest Manhattans No one could hear him Or anything So he slept on a mountain In a sleeping bag underneath the stars He would lie awake and count them And the gray fountain spray of the great Milky Way Would never let him Die alone Remember to remember me Standing still in your past Floating fast like a hummingbird Remember to remember me Standing still in your past Floating fast like a hummingbird A hummingbird A hummingbird
beautiful thing #1
Posted by rick Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:27:00 GMT
Not having really been a listener to Bright Eyes until recently I never heard this song of theirs until very recently. Here are the lyrics to First Day of My Life (YouTube video at the link):
This is the first day of my life I swear I was born right in the doorway I went out in the rain suddenly everything changed They're spreading blankets on the beach Yours is the first face that I saw I think I was blind before I met you Now I don’t know where I am I don’t know where I’ve been But I know where I want to go And so I thought I’d let you know That these things take forever I especially am slow But I realize that I need you And I wondered if I could come home Remember the time you drove all night Just to meet me in the morning And I thought it was strange you said everything changed You felt as if you'd just woke up And you said “this is the first day of my life I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you But now I don’t care I could go anywhere with you And I’d probably be happy” So if you want to be with me With these things there’s no telling We just have to wait and see But I’d rather be working for a paycheck Than waiting to win the lottery Besides maybe this time is different I mean I really think you like me
beautiful things
Posted by rick Sun, 04 Mar 2007 15:39:00 GMT
I’ve decided to start posting about beatiful things that I encounter. When I find something beautiful and have the time to make a post I will. You can find them all tagged with “beauty” (so you should be able to click here to see them all. The first post will be in just a moment.
